


just let me stay by your side

by April (featherx)



Series: but in the end I will always come back to you [9]
Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Teachers, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-09
Updated: 2017-04-09
Packaged: 2018-10-16 14:39:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,055
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10573341
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/featherx/pseuds/April
Summary: Junmyeon meets the new teacher in the school. (Teachers AU)





	

Junmyeon lets out a tired sigh as he watches the huge crowd of teenagers run out of the classroom to have their lunch break and probably talk about the latest gossip. Honestly, the only thing he can focus on is that he can finally have some lunch.

He grabs the nearest thing he can reach for in the cafeteria, then settles in a relatively empty table to delight in the true happiness that is food, the ultimate creation of the deities, most probably. Junmyeon tries not to sigh too audibly when he spots another teacher looking lost and heading for his table – really, he’d rather have his lunch in peace, but…

“Um, hi there,” the other teacher manages. She looks terribly unsure of her surroundings. “Sorry, but – can I sit here? Just, every other table is taken…”

“Sure, it’s fine.”

He really can’t turn someone down if he can help it. Junmyeon probably needs to work on that, or he might turn into a Chanyeol. When the girl sits down just across from him and starts nervously picking at her food, Junmyeon tries – he really does – to stop himself.

“Are you new here? I don’t think I’ve seen you around before.”

He fails. Is he being too nice, or is this just being polite? He wish he knew.

Evidently enough, though, the girl was looking for a conversation starter like this, because she brightens considerably and shoots Junmyeon a winning smile. “Yeah, actually! I just started here. Um, I’m Max Robinson. I teach the kindergarteners.”

“Kim Junmyeon. It’s nice to meet you,” he offers, feeling himself smiling back. Her happiness is somewhat contagious, he supposes, unlike some of his students. Every time they start laughing, he just knows whatever’s going to happen next won’t be a good thing. “Kindergarten, huh? I teach politics to the high school students. How do you like the place so far?"

Max looks like she’s right in her element. “I love it! I was a student here before, so everything’s still familiar to me, but then there are new facilities, and it’s like being the new kid all over again. Which, I guess, sort of does apply to me.” She looks thoughtful for a moment, before speaking again. “And the kids are so _sweet_ , they’re a lot less annoying than I was when I was their age. I mean, they only get really noisy when they’re having fun, and – man, did I ramble on again? I’m sorry, just—” She makes an excited gesture with her hands, “I know I’m still new, but I love my job already.”

Junmyeon vaguely wonders how she can be that energetic. Granted, it’s still the start of the school year, and she _is_ a new teacher, but on good days Junmyeon can just barely work up the energy to make himself breakfast. Still – she’s still smiling, her blue eyes are sparkling with eagerness, and Junmyeon finds himself smiling again. It _is_ sort of charming. “Hey, glad to hear that you like the place. Lesson plans are tough, but—”

“Ms. Max!” A little kid shrieks from practically the other side of the cafeteria, and Max herself almost drops her fork. A kindergartener just about pounces on her, tugging on her pants leg. “Ms. Max, guess what, I made a new friend today!”

“Did you really?” Max asks, almost as excited as the little kid. She digs in her blouse pocket and hands him a couple pieces of candy, which Junmyeon doesn’t think he’s ever seen another teacher do before in a school with staff as deadbeat as this. “Here, share this with them, that’s one surefire way of deepening that friendship bond you all got.”

The kid looks down at the candies for a second. “Can I just eat all of them?”

“Well, don’t let anyone else catch you.”

“Thanks, Ms. Max!” Another hug around her leg, and the kid is racing off again. Junmyeon tries his best not to stare, but stares anyway, and feels a little less bad about himself when he realizes that most of the cafeteria is staring, too.

Max shrinks into herself a little bit. “I… That _was_ okay, right? Why’s everyone staring?”

“We don’t get many teachers like you anymore, honestly,” Junmyeon says, trying his best to fix the Stern Gaze at everyone else still staring. It doesn’t really work, but he likes to think it does. “Don’t worry, that’s a good thing. Do you always carry chocolates around, though?”

“They’re not all chocolate. Some of my students are allergic,” Max says absently, checking her pockets and showing him a vanilla-flavored candy. Junmyeon is somewhat impressed. “I dunno. The teachers here when I was a student were never terribly nice, and they brought down a lot of my friends’ self-esteem.” She shrugs, trying to look nonchalant, but Junmyeon can see the uncertainty in her posture. “I didn’t want to be _that_ teacher. And especially to little kids. So – well, you know.”

“Yeah,” Junmyeon says, “I know. Don’t worry, though.” He pats her hand once, and then tries not to immediately pull away when he realizes what he’s doing. Max herself doesn’t seem very bothered, but Junmyeon would rather not take the risk. After awkwardly clearing his throat and retracting his arm as casually as possible, he says, “I think you’d just earn others’ respect rather than… well, what’s a good word? Not respect. Really, I’m a bit of a hypocrite for saying this, but we do need more teachers like you in this place.”

Max smiles, and it’s a little smaller than before, but it’s even more genuine and Junmyeon can feel the beats of his heart go the tiniest bit erratic. “Not just here. The rest of the world can do with more candy.”

The next day, after class, Junmyeon is approached by one of his students for a question. Before Sehun runs off, though, he fixes Junmyeon with a suspicious look that, quite frankly, has Junmyeon wondering if he had accidentally committed a murder or something today. “You’re all cheery today, Teach,” he says slowly, cautiously, like he’s scared of getting a student behavior feedback form. “Did something nice happen? Meet a girl?”

Junmyeon blinks, stares at him. Sehun’s just about to stammer out a possible, “never mind,” when Junmyeon actually smiles. “I guess you could say that.”


End file.
